SERGEI THE SPIDER Crawls Out From GEMINI COMIX

By Newsarama Staff June 5, 2017 01:51pm ET

Credit: Gemini Comix

Credit: Gemini Comix

Press Release

A new publishing company in Madison, Wisconsin has introduced the world to a man who is the product of a soviet eugenics program gone wrong and touched by Celtic mysticism! Of course, he’s also out to save the world from the horrors of climate change! And those are just two of the things that makes “Sergei the Spider” so intriguing. There are thousands upon thousands of comic book fans in the world who will want to know more about what makes “Sergei the Spider” tick, and that is what the owner of Gemini Comix, LLC is counting on.

On May 11, readers got their first look at Sergei, a brutal man who is much more a spider than human being when Gemini Comix releases a free three-page preview of Sergei the Spider #1. This preview will introduce readers to the star of their flagship title and tease them with a snippet from Sergei’s compelling story; one that will be explained in full detail when the full 20-page comic book is released on June 1st, 2017. Again, fans and readers may download the preview online at http://geminicomicbooks.com/free-preview-of-sergei-the-spider-1/. Simply enter your name, Email address and zip code and the link to the preview will appear right on the page! As for the full issue, it will be available for electronic download at www.geminicomicbooks.com on June 1st, and will be avaialble at fine retailers including Mile High Comics, one of the nation's greatest comic book retailers by June 15th!

“‘Sergei the Spider’ is a very different comic book than the ones readers are used to,” explains Rob Severson, publisher and owner of Gemini Comix. “It contains all the bells and whistles that have made so many fans follow their favorite superheroes for decades. But Sergei’s story is one of substance and one people are really going to be able to relate to, as he will be embroiled in the sociopolitical dangers and hazards we all face and fear, such as climate change. All of us hope such horrors can be stopped… Sergei represents those hopes! We’re going to take readers to the edge of their seats and keep them there. At least until the next issue is published.”

Severson expands on this concept saying that people will be interested in “Sergei the Spider” as the title will focus on the very things so many people are concerned with in their own lives right now. Politics, corruption, damage to our environment and the threat of nuclear weapons are all at the forefront of the continuing intrigue as Sergei struggles to use his super powers to save the world and its inhabitants from themselves. He’s also relatable, says Severson, because he’s made some very dark, serious mistakes before his "come to Gaia" moment (download the preview and witness it!), which makes him seem more human than today's average superheroes, many of which exist, it seems, "to sell movie tickets and convention art pieces, rather than to tell great stories".

“When Sergei was growing up in the Ukraine,he was about as far from a superhero as one can get,” explains Severson, who writes the story, illustrates it and inks it. “In fact, he was a thug who knew that he was the most powerful, imposing man in Kiev, possibly the continent. The choices he made caused a lot of bad things to happen to a lot of people, and the environment. But when Sergei’s mother dies, he has a moment of clarity that causes him to see clearly all the damage his bad decisions have caused - not only to individuals but to the environment and the community around him. And he vows then and there to start using his powers to repair the damage he has caused and to make the world a better, safer place.”

There are some very powerful people who don’t like Sergei’s transformation, however, and those familiar people include politicians in charge of some of the most powerful countries in the planet. People like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, who both will appear in Sergei the Spider's first four issues. So is Sergei a Progressive or a Conservative? Severson isn’t saying but his smile seems to indicate readers will be entertained by the answer. Severson says he’s also very excited about revealing Sergei’s super powers to the world.

Sergei is the result of a genetic experiment gone wrong. DNA from a jumping spider was injected into Sergei’s father's cells as part of a eugenics experiment in the early 1980's. While this program failed to yield desired results to the direct subjects, in Sergei's case (and perhaps others?), the OFFSPRING of the subject inherited the abilities. Sergei grows up with parents who realize their son is different from other children from day one. He could jump and run by six months, he has what appears to be moles on his neck, which are actually spider eyes! But most creepily, one day his parents notice him talking baby talk to a spider on the sidewalk and it seems as if the spider is paying attention. That’s the beginning of their realization that Sergei needed to be hidden until he could be eased into Ukrainian society. “Spiders obey him and he can also see from all angles,” explains Severson. “Sergei literally has eyes on the back of his head which are generally invisible to other people but become remarkably useful. Severson explains: “Let’s just say the chances of anyone sneaking up on Sergei are remote.”

Sergei is not only able to communicate with the occasional spider. He can talk to the masses. That means that whenever he chooses to, he can direct millions of spiders throughout the region to follow his precise directions. “Spiders from every nook and cranny in a 5 mile radius react when they hear Sergei’s call,” says Severson. “They not only hear him, they obey him without question.” So if he wants them to come running, they arrive in short order. All of them. The result can be especially unfortunate for someone who ends up on Sergei the Spider’s short list. “Seeing millions of spiders marching toward one target and realizing that target is YOU is something that causes even the most confident villain to get weak in the knees,” says Severson, with a chuckle. “It is NOT a good day for anyone when the spiders are coming for you and they’re hungry.” He predicts that readers, however, will devour the action. “Some of these bad guys have done some unbelievably horrible things. They deserve exactly what they get: a rather spectacular, gruesome end. In fact, I predict readers will be cheering Sergei on across the globe, and perhaps liking spiders just a bit more".

Severson is almost entirely finished with his part of the first issue. That means the story is complete, he’s drawn each page – first in blue line, then in black ink – and he’s turned it over to other members of the team who will add fishing touches like lettering and coloring. When all that is done, the completed comic book has just one more step to go before it becomes a reality and that’s off to the printer. The next day, readers will be able to hold an actual newly launched comic book in their hands. Severson says he can’t wait.

“June 1st will be a fabulous day. That’s when the comic book will be back from the printer and readers will be able to download it in its entirety online. And Sergei the Spider will no longer exist only in my mind. He will be a real, bonafide superhero who exists in reality for thousands upon thousands of people who will meet him, learn about every aspect of his story and become addicted to finding out what happens next.”

So what can readers expect to happen next? Severson pauses a moment then smiles. ““They can expect to be thoroughly entertained in a way they’ve never been entertained before. We are going to use art as a means to #resist, to educate and to thrill. It's gonna be a ride like none other. Buckle up, Pilgrim!"